Ditching the Training Wheels: 10 Steps to Teach Your Child to Ride a Bike Independently
By Caitlin Lipscomb, PT, DPT
Many of us can still remember the feeling of pride and accomplishment when we rode down the street on our two-wheeled bicycles for the first time. Not only is it often thought of as a rite of passage, but successfully learning to ride a bike can be an extremely positive and rewarding experience during childhood.
It can be a tedious and frustrating process, and it often results in skinned knees and temper tantrums (for both the child and the parent!) Luckily, the use of training wheels is quickly becoming the “old-school” way of teaching kids how to ride a bike.
Although it can still work, starting with training wheels is considered to be less effective than the popular method of learning to “glide” on a balance bike. So whether your child has been riding a bike with training wheels for years or your child is just getting onto a bike for the first time, you can follow the ten steps below to teach your child to ride a two-wheeled bike independently.
Ditching the training wheels isn’t always a walk in the park.
1. Start when THEY are ready!
The factor that most strongly impacts the success of this method will be whether your child actually wants to learn to ride a bike. If you think your child “should” be able to ride a bike but they don’t express any interest, you may want to wait until they are ready.
On average, children should have the appropriate gross motor skill development to learn to ride a bike without training wheels between 5-6 years of age. But every kid is different! There is truly no right or perfect age to learn to ride a bike; however, if their ultimate goal is to ride a two-wheeled bike independently, your child will need the appropriate core/leg strength and coordination to balance and pedal the bike.
If your child is on the younger side or does not yet have the needed strength, balance, or coordination, you can still introduce them to a balance bike, which allows them to get a feel for coasting and balancing on a bike. You can spend one summer mastering the balance bike and work toward a bike with pedals the following summer.
2. Find a bike and helmet that fits appropriately.
Choose an appropriate bike size
Although this step seems like common sense, an ill-fitting bike can significantly hamper success with learning to balance and pedal. You should find a bike that your child can:
Easily stand over without making contact with the top tube
Reach the handlebars without straining
Avoid getting a bike that is too large, hoping your child will grow into it because it will be harder for them to handle and control. A slightly smaller bike is actually preferable to one that is too big.
A helmet should hit just above the eyebrows and it should not touch the nape of the neck. The strap should be pulled tight enough so that you can only insert one finger under the chin. The helmet should not move freely if you shake your head from side to side. The staff at your local bike shop can help you with choosing an appropriately sized bike (and helmet), but you can use the chart to help you start your search.
3. Remove the training wheels and pedals to make a balance bike.
Although it is still considered the traditional way to learn to ride a bike, using training wheels actually teaches your child that you don’t have to balance on the bike. This can make the transition from training wheels to a two-wheeled bike extremely difficult and frustrating for both you and your child.
The “gliding” method, which emphasizes learning balance on two wheels first and adding pedaling later, has become more popular in recent years. Generally, kids who start on a balance bike tend to have an easier time learning to ride a two-wheeled bike than those who start on training wheels.
Even if your child has been using training wheels for years, you can still transition to a balance bike before practicing the skill of pedaling on a two-wheeled bike without training wheels. Although there are many specialty balance bikes on the market, you don’t need a special bike to teach the gliding method—just take the pedals and training wheels off an ordinary bike with a pedal wrench and lower the seat so your child can sit on the saddle with both feet on the ground.
4. Start in an open area.
The best place to begin to learn gliding or pedaling on a bike is in an empty parking lot, empty tennis/basketball court, or a wide, paved bike trail with limited turns. Avoid narrow trails, short driveways, or busy streets so that your child does not have to worry about steering in the beginning. Although grassy areas provide a better cushion for falls, it makes it challenging to gain enough speed to coast and glide on the balance bike.
5. Learn how to mount and dismount the bike.
This is often an overlooked step, but encourage your child to practice getting on and off the bike on their own several times so they’re comfortable. A better dismount means fewer wipe outs as you start practicing.
6. Practice “one-footed gliding” on the balance bike.
Once your child has comfortably mounted their bike seat, teach them to push off with one foot at a time in order to glide on the bike. This will look like they are “walking” their feet on the ground to propel the bike forward. It is often beneficial to provide your child with a model for this.
Make sure they are looking straight ahead as they practice. As they begin to get more comfortable with this skill, try to encourage a greater distance between each push before they put their feet back on the ground.
6. Practice “one-footed gliding” on the balance bike.
Once your child has comfortably mounted their bike seat, teach them to push off with one foot at a time in order to glide on the bike. This will look like they are “walking” their feet on the ground to propel the bike forward. It is often beneficial to provide your child with a model for this.
Make sure they are looking straight ahead as they practice. As they begin to get more comfortable with this skill, try to encourage a greater distance between each push before they put their feet back on the ground.
7. Practice “two-footed gliding” on the balance bike.
Once your child has mastered one-footed gliding, teach them to push off with both feet at the same time and see how far they can glide. This will begin to further challenge their balance on the bike. To further motivate them, you can turn this into one of the following games:
Draw a chalk line to mark your child’s best gliding distance. With each repetition, encourage them to make it past the chalk line without putting their feet down. Draw a new chalk line every time they beat their personal record.
Try a timed glide--see if your child can glide with their feet up for a full 10 seconds and then encourage them to beat their record.
Set up cones or draw chalk circles on the pavement in a line and see if your child can avoid the obstacles while they glide.
8. Add the pedals back onto the bike and practice braking.
Once they can safely balance for a few seconds while gliding on their balance bike, it is time to add the pedals back onto the bike. Before you attempt to conquer pedaling, teach your child how to brake properly.
If they have coaster brakes, hold the bike while they’re on it and have them practice pressing on the brakes with enough force.
If they have hand brakes, have the child walk alongside the bike holding the handgrips. Have them use the hand brakes to slow the bike as they walk along so they know how much pressure to use.
9. Teach your child to pedal from a stopped position.
It is generally easier to keep the bike seat in a lower position when you begin practicing pedaling so that your child feels more balanced. Have them sit on the seat with one foot flat on the ground and the other on a pedal raised to the 1 to 2 o’clock position. Coach them to press down hard on the front pedal and then find the second pedal with their opposite foot as they move forward. It may take a lot of practice with this before your child can complete more than one revolution, so don’t get frustrated!
As tempting as it may be, try to avoid holding your child’s bike as they start to pedal. You want to give them the opportunity to balance on the bike themselves and figure out how to gain enough momentum to move forward. It may be helpful to hold the bike for a short stretch once they start moving so they can work on increasing their number of consecutive revolutions on the bike.
Raise the seat up about an inch once they get better with pedaling. If your child really struggles with this step, they may need more work on the balance bike before they’re ready to pedal.
10. Practice turning while slowly building up distance and speed.
Begin practicing turns as your child gets more confident with pedaling. Begin with large, wide circles and figure 8's before trying tighter turns. Keep things fun by making a game out of steering and turning:
Set up a line of cones or other obstacles in a straight line or zigzag pattern for your child to navigate.
Play “Red Light, Green Light.” Vary the distances and encourage quick stops. This will help work on pedaling and braking.
Place an obstacle about 10 to 20 feet ahead on the ground and have your child stop before hitting it. This will help improve braking and overall safety awareness during bike riding.
Find a shorter bike trail and encourage your child to pedal for the entire length of the trail. Lead your child at a pace that is challenging but not too difficult for them to maintain.
As your child continues to improve with their bike riding skills, it is important that you do not pressure them to go too far or too fast before they are ready. No matter where your child is in the process, learning to ride a bike should be fun!
Being patient, upbeat, and making the steps fun can go a long way toward putting your new bike rider at ease. It is also important to remember that there shouldn’t be pressure to make it through all ten steps of this process in one day, one week, or even in one summer! Your child may be perfectly content gliding on their balance bike for an entire year before they are ready to try pedaling. If your child has the motivation to learn something, they will learn!
If you have a younger child or a child with known motor delays that is eager to ride a bike but is not yet ready to try a balance bike as outlined above, you can try the following:
● Try a bike with training wheels to work on coordination and leg strengthening before moving to a balance bike.
● Consult with a physical therapist for exercises to increase core/leg strength, balance, and coordination.
● Try bike riding classes at a local bike shop or sporting goods store (REI offers classes at many locations).
● Look into adaptive bikes/tricycles with a physical therapist if your child has significant motor delays or safety concerns.
Have questions or concerns? Get in touch with one of our therapists!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Caitlin Lipscomb, PT, DPT Physical Therapist
Caitlin has been practicing as a physical therapist for five years and her entire career has been spent in pediatrics. She has a special interest in the use of adaptive sports and community recreation to enhance gross motor skills in children of all ages.